I Am Roller Derby – And So Can You!

      My name is Mary.  I’m thirty years old, five feet tall, and weigh more than I care to disclose at this time.  I’ve only ever gone to the emergency room twice for serious injuries, the most recent of which is approaching almost twenty years ago.  I like to make people smile, am generally a cheerful soul, and am addicted to music.  There are some who would label me fearful when it comes to taking risks, but I like to consider myself reasonably cautious.  All of my extracurricular activities lean toward the solitary sort: reading, writing, swimming, and, most recently, running, which I hate to do.  I guess you could also say I’m a bit of a geek.  I love science fiction and fantasy, enjoy anime, and am addicted to BBC America.

            Oh, and I play roller derby.

            I know, right?  Roller derby.  Me.  Most people don’t think of a woman like me playing a sport like that.  They hear “roller derby” and imagine this badass chick covered in tattoos and bruises, wearing fishnet tights with giant holes ripped in them.  They think of a woman who doesn’t take crap from anyone, who isn’t afraid to fight it out if necessary.  She puts on war paint for every bout, and if someone isn’t bleeding or dead by the end it’s probably because she was ejected early from the game.

            Guess what?  Those women are roller derby, too.

            People join roller derby for various reasons.  Me, I joined because my three younger sisters were all doing it and as the oldest I couldn’t let them show me up.  That plus it’s an amazing workout.  But what has kept me playing for going on a year now is that roller derby loves everyone.

            DiamondState Roller Girls is comprised of all sorts of different people.  We have teachers and college students, firefighters and police officers, moms and fur moms, straight and lesbian.  We are book nerds, computer geeks, anime freaks, movie addicts, opera aficionados.  We have tattoos, piercings, all of the above, none of the above.  We have cooks, knitters, writers, artists, gardeners, gamers.  We are girly, feisty, silly, down-to-earth, loud, quiet, and everything in between.  We have every spectrum of woman that you can possibly imagine.

            And we are all roller derby.

            Roller derby isn’t about an ideal.  It isn’t about the hitting or the fishnets or the derby names.  It’s about the people.  Roller derby is about not just accepting individuality, but embracing it with open, sweaty arms.  It’s about celebrating the uniqueness of each and every person on the team, about coming exactly as you are, in all your glory, and not being judged for it.  There is no “type” to roller derby.  You are roller derby, and we love you for it.

             My name is Copa KaBANGya.  I am roller derby – and so can you.

Roller Derby FAQ

Like any roller derby girl, I like talking about my sport.  I like seeing the reactions when I tell people what I do when I’m not working the front desk at a doctor’s office.  Some people get excited and reminisce about when they used to watch roller derby on television.  Some look at me blankly and ask, “What the heck is roller derby?”

I can only imagine my fellow derby girls, when talking about roller derby, get many of the same reactions and questions I do: what is roller derby, how is it played, are the hits real?  Well, dear reader, you’re in luck.  Today we’re going to go over the Roller Derby FAQ.

1. What is roller derby?

A very good question!  Simply put, roller derby is when a group of hot ladies get together, put on roller skates, and hit each other without mercy while skating in a giant oval.  More accurately, roller derby has a very long history and has undergone at least three revisions before becoming the legitimate, full contact sport of today.

The first recorded use of the term “roller derby” goes back to the 1920s, but the concept had been in existence as early as 1885.  During that time, roller derby was an endurance race.  Like those 24 hour dance-a-thons, people would put on their roller skates and go until they were the last person standing – or, rather skating.  It didn’t involve hitting or a point system.  All you had to do was outlast the competition.

Over the next several decades, roller derby came and went in varying degrees.  It was broadcast over the radio in 1939, was initially televised in 1945, and saw the first formation of organized leagues during the 1950s and 1960s.  During this time period, it shifted from being an endurance sport to something more of an exhibition show complete with staged stunts.  While such stunts as chucking opponents across the rink or laying a huge hit on a skater made for good television, a lot of the participants were unhappy with the fact that roller derby had gone from being an authentic sport to simple entertainment.

It wasn’t until 2000 that roller derby started shaping into the sport we know and love today.  Rules were established, a point system was put into place, and roller derby was reborn into a sport that is both physical and strategic at the same time – and it was for women.  It is one of the quickest growing sports in the United States with over 170 fully registered Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) leagues and nearly 100 apprentice leagues.  Roller derby has become an international phenomenon with leagues spanning across the globe; in 2011, it had its first World Cup Championship.  Even though its roots still, to this day, remain very firmly tied with the new wave feminist movement, roller derby has found an appeal with men as well; the Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA) follows all the same rules as WFTDA but is geared toward our brothers on skates.  Roller derby is a sport that everyone can play and enjoy.

1. How do you play roller derby?

Again, this is a question that is both easy and difficult to answer.  The very basic answer is that you put on roller skates and hit girls on the other team.  However, there’s a lot more to roller derby than that.  You have to know when to hit and when to simply get in their way, when to speed up and when to slow down, when to go on the offensive and when to play defensive.  There is a LOT more strategy on that track than might appear while watching it.  Roller girls specialize in organized chaos – as well as the unorganized variety.

Usually the best way to understand derby is to watch it by coming to bouts, but let’s see if we can break it down a bit here.  Roller derby is played with five women from each team on the track at a time.  Four of those skaters are blockers.  Their job is to get their jammer through while keeping the other team’s jammer back.  The fifth player is the jammer, the one who scores points.

The jammer’s job is to break through the pack (the combined blockers from each team) before the other jammer.  This will give her lead status and a HUGE advantage in that she now controls how long the jam is played.  Jams can run up to two full minutes, but typically they last anywhere between 45 seconds to a minute.  No points are scored on this initial pass though; all the jammers are trying to do is get that lead status.  Once lead has been established, the next time a jammer enters the pack she gets one point for every blocker on the opposing team that she passes.  She continues scoring points until the two minutes is up or until she calls it off.

Jammers are incredibly important.  Without them, your team doesn’t score points.  The jammer is also responsible for knowing when to stop the jam: if the other jammer is right behind her when approaching the pack, if the other jammer is faster, if she’s getting exhausted.  A jammer not only requires stamina but needs to have the ability to think quickly on her skates and react immediately when she sees an opening in the pack.

The blockers are equally important because they are responsible for setting the pace of the pack.  They need to be able to protect their jammer while simultaneously holding the other jammer back.  They need to know when to speed the pack up and when to slow it down, be able to hit and take hits, communicate effectively…  Essentially, it is a helluva lot of multitasking and teamwork all at once.  Blockers need to be constantly aware of their surroundings at all times.

Needless to say, jammers and blockers cannot do what they do best without each other.  You can be the greatest jammer in the world, but if your blockers aren’t able to hold back the competition and protect you from the other blockers, then it doesn’t matter.  The same is true in reverse; you can have the most solid lineup of blockers out there, but if your jammer isn’t able to fight her way through the other team then it’s all for nothing.  Roller derby is, first and foremost, a collaborative team effort on the track.  Going to the penalty box may make for great entertainment, but it literally can decide whether your team wins by one hundred or loses by two hundred.

1. Is it real?

Umm… what do you think?

If you look closely, it looks like a hamburger….

Okay, in all seriousness I get asked this question a LOT.  People remember watching all the staged hits and falls from when roller derby was televised and think that’s what we do now.  It’s not.  Trust me, I have more photos to prove it.  Every time you see a girl get hit right off her skates, every time she falls and doesn’t get back up – it’s real.  Roller derby isn’t called a “full contact extreme sport” for nothing.  The safety gear we wear isn’t because we think it looks sexy; that’s what the fishnet tights are for.  It is to keep us as safe as possible when we do get taken down.

Roller derby is a real, legitimate sport.  It requires dedication, hard work, cross training, and, most importantly, the drive to succeed.

1.  How does a nice girl like you end up playing a sport like roller derby?

First of all, whoever told you I was a nice girl is a liar.  Second, you get into roller derby like you do any other sport: you fall in love.  The thing about roller derby is that there are SO many different elements to fall in love with.

For some people, it’s the camaraderie.  It’s getting out of the house to meet new and exciting people, to be part of a group where no one judges you.  Roller derby is accepting of EVERYONE.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a college student, a mom, a teacher, a lawyer, brazen, shy, overweight, figuring yourself out, or still figuring yourself out several years after you were supposed to have figured yourself out.  The saying “come as you are” could not be truer when it comes to roller derby.

For others, it’s the exercise.  Roller derby is an extreme sport that requires players to pass a minimum level of skills in order to play.  This means being able to skate 25 laps in 5 minutes, being able to remain in “derby stance” – skating in a deep squat position – at all times, and being able to fall and get back up in 3 seconds or less.  It is a lot of cardio, a lot of weight training, and an allover body workout.  In general, roller skating burns an average of 11 calories per minute.  Our practices are typically two hours long and are much more than just skating in an oval at a casual pace.

Then, for the competitive types, there is the thrill of bouting.  It’s the rush of adrenaline when you step onto the track for the first time, the exhilaration at putting the skills you’ve been honing to work, the jubilation of victory.  It’s starting a friendly contest between teammates to see who can be faster, who can hit harder.  There is also the self-competition aspect, of seeing how far you can push yourself.  Roller derby can and will show you that you are far more capable than you might think you are.

1.  It sounds fun, but I’m not a masochist like you.  Pain and I do not mix.

Technically, this isn’t a question but it’s something I hear almost as frequently as the one about whether it’s real or not.  To address this, I’m going to be very honest and reveal a dirty little secret: pain and I don’t mix either.

Seriously, you will not find a bigger wuss than me.  I very nearly passed out getting the second piercings in my ears; I was twenty-two at the time.  But, as I said above, roller derby will prove that you can take more than you ever thought you could.  The nasty bruises become a game where we compare the size, color, and whose hip/skate caused it.  Severe injuries, such as broken bones, really don’t happen that often and usually only occur under freak conditions.  We wear protective gear and train our skaters how to fall appropriately so as to minimize this from happening.

But, hey.  If you’re still skittish about the full contact aspect of roller derby – no worries!  Teams are comprised of MUCH more than just the skaters.  We absolutely could not do what we do without the help of referees and non-skating officials (NSO’s).  They are the people who learn the game and make the bouts happen – and they are ALL volunteers who do it because they love the sport.  Without the refs to keep us in line and playing safely or the NSO’s to literally do everything from tracking penalties to score keeping to keeping time during jams, we could not do this.  Their jobs are just as important as any jammer or blocker on the track.

So, if you’re interested in learning more about roller derby, whether to be a future skater or join our team of refs and NSO’s or just as a curious spectator, go online and check out your local roller derby team.  We would love to talk derby to you!

Self-Confidence

Most of the time when people make confessions they feel … relieved. A burden has been unloaded. Not my confession. My confession is shameful, and here I am admitting it to the world. Swallowing my pride, accepting it in all its ugly glory. It’s my derby demon. It’s the monster in my closet.
Yes, my name is Cheetahs Never Prosper and I have self-confidence issues. HUH, there’s the collective gasp I was waiting for. I see all your faces, and I know what you are thinking. Confidence issues? You aren’t allowed to have those in derby. You are strong! You are fierce! But I am here to tell you that there is something about derby that devolves me into a blubbering mass of hysteria (ok, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated but I have had several good cries).
I am fairly new to the sport still. I started this April as a Tot with my shiny new knee pads and helmet ready to take the derby world by storm. I was successful in the tot program despite the fact I had limited experience on skates. I felt on top of the world! In my first scrimmage I jammed and was actually … GOOD! The highlight of the scrimmage was when my team and I won in the last jam, while I was jamming.
Assessments came along. I endured a grueling two hours of pain and skills and at the end I passed – MY FIRST TIME AROUND! I told myself I was ready to join the rostered skaters. Boy, was I wrong. I had no idea what I was getting into and what I still have to go through every night I set foot on that track.
I laced up my skates that first night as a Not (a fully assessed, bout eligible skater) thinking I would have to prove myself. Over the few days before my first practice as an official Not, I started thinking, “These girls that I will be playing with have been doing this a lot longer than me. So how do I keep up with them?” I think back now to the days when I was just a wee Tot staring longingly at all of the Nots doing their drills, practicing scrimmage scenarios and skating in fast paced pace lines. I thought it would be wonderful to be a Not, that I would finally know what I was doing. The problem was when I actually started playing with the “big girls” it was like I was back in kindergarten trying to learn my ABCs.
You see, I never know what kind of a night I will have. Trust me, I have good practices. I feel special when my teammates holler for me to jam. I know they are saying that because I have potential. They WANT me to be good at derby.
But blocking is my kryptonite. I can’t do it. I get pushed around. I get lost in the mix. I try. I really do and I block as much as I can at practice and yet every time I skate out onto that track with my team I know I am the worst one on that line. I am the liability. I am the one that the jammer is going to head for, because I am the weak link. And I can hear my girls out there with me thinking it too. I get in the way. Or I don’t do anything that is productive.
Let me stop myself there. I’m sure you don’t want to hear a whining session. Trust me, I don’t either. I am tired of being in my head about derby.
So really I am sure you are asking what the solution to the problem is. It isn’t my teammates because in all honesty they are great. They lift me up. They encourage me. They motivate me. They are the best damn group of girls I have ever had the pleasure of being in (and I have never been one to have a group of girlfriends. No, ladies and gentlemen, this Cheetah is often a lone wolf).
Yes sometimes they get frustrated with me and I am sure some of them avoid me during practice, because, well, how can I put this simply? I am still a newbie. A liability. I don’t challenge them. I don’t do things right (See what I mean? Self-confidence issues rearing its ugly head). Even the coach often has to stop what we are practicing to give pointers to the group but secretly I know everything he is saying is meant for me. I know because I am the one screwing it all up.
In the end self-confidence is something I think we all struggle with in derby. It is so easy to be hard on yourself and no matter how many positives you hear, that ugly confidence monster is going to be there growling.
Confidence requires a mental toughness and derby is just as much about mental toughness as it is about physical toughness if not more so. But if you don’t want to be out there and give 150% of yourself despite the setbacks, then you don’t deserve derby.
So if you are battling confidence issues like me, you only have two options: keep trying or quit. Even though I am convinced I utterly suck. I am not quitting – will NOT quit – because I love derby too much. So take that, confidence monster!

– Cheetahs Never Prosper, #75mph

Side Note From The Moderator: As one of Cheetah’s teammates, I can attest not only for myself but the rest of our team that: a) Cheetah does not by any means suck, b) she doesn’t screw up any more than the rest of us, and c) she’s a better skater than she gives herself credit for. Self-confidence is a fragile thing. It doesn’t take much to break it, but it takes twice as much to build it back up. What makes it easier is when you have a supportive environment to encourage you, to acknowledge when you’ve done something awesome and help you when things aren’t quite rosy – something we Diamond State Roller Girls have strived to create for ALL our skaters, regardless of skill level. Even then, that will only take you so far. You need to have the drive to continue on, to keep pushing yourself to the next level. There is no such thing as perfect derby. There will always be another level to achieve, another skill to learn. Always. And if you have the determination to persevere and to succeed, like our dear Cheetah here, you WILL become a better derby girl.

– Copa KaBangya, #8

Age is just a number

They say that age is just a number.  I, as what I am sure were many others, repeated that mantra when, at an age that is otherwise reserved for having children, getting married or focusing on climbing the corporate ladder, instead elected to join the sport of roller derby.

I was 34 when I first started. I came to practice after finding my local roller derby team with minimal hardship. Prior to starting practice I did some research including YouTube videos and the ever-popular WFTDA website. What I saw was amazing. These women were flying across the diamond, stopping on a dime and bursting through what seemed like an insurmountable wall. While I was mesmerized by what I saw, I couldn’t help but notice one, what seemed like, common dominator…everyone seemed so young. It was at that point that I began to doubt myself before I even started. How was I going to keep up with women that appeared 10 years younger than me? Would my body even respond the way it used to when I played sports? Even scarier…would my body recover if I got hurt?

Despite those fears, which I have found to be common in the derby world, I showed up on the first day of practice, strapped on a pair of skates, pads and a helmet and away I went.  That was two years ago and within those two years I have found that my preconceived beliefs of myself as well as others was routed in fiction.

Probably the biggest misconception is that the majority of women who play our sport are somewhere between the ages of 18-22. Recently, WFTDA conducted a survey of 3,312 female players and reported that the majority of skaters, 60%, are in fact between the ages of 25 and 34. More interesting is that the number of skaters below the age of 25 decreased from 15% to 13% and skaters between the ages of 35-44 increased from 22% to 23% since 2010. (Results from the Second Annual Comprehensive Data Collection on Skaters and Fan, WFTDA 2011).  (Also, see a related article from Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/09/roller-derby-over-40-age-_n_794451.html#s201997&title=Alphabeth_42_Central_)

Further, with these age ranges, the same survey found that 35% of skaters are salaried professionals with 15% employed at a managerial level  and 5% private business owners. The most popular careers within the field of roller derby remained education. Additionally, 31% lived with children under the age of 18. (Results from the Second Annual Comprehensive Data Collection on Skaters and Fan, WFTDA 2011).

 

So what did I learn from this? Clearly, I was not alone age wise and I was not the only person juggling a career, family and derby. But most important, I found that I was not alone when it came to mastering something new at my age. A lot of my fellow teammates as well as competitors said that when they started they were frustrated when it took them longer to master a certain concept or even pass their initial skills assessment to be a rostered skater. That frustration sometimes got the better of them and tempted them to stop, give up, quit this, as their friends would say, “foolish” endeavor for they were too old to learn something this new without hurting themselves.  But they kept coming back and the frustrations gave way to successes. We became rostered skaters, we began to bout and we began to score. True some of us got hurt, but we learned that we would recover and be back on skate with our fellow teammates.  And soon with those success we realized that age was just that….a number.

From Tot To Not: The Journey Of A Derby Girl

Fresh meat. Freshies. Noobs. Skater Tots. Whatever the term, they all refer to the same thing: a new roller derby skater.

New derby girls are easy to spot. Their helmets are shiny and lacking in stickers. The toes of their skates aren’t scuffed up or covered in decorative duct tape.  They have that wide-eyed, how-the-heck-do-I-stop look on their faces. Their protective gear doesn’t have that corn chip funk the veterans are proud to show off. It’s difficult to imagine on that first day, surrounded by strangers who are desperately clinging to the walls while the seasoned skaters go whooshing around and even — gulp — skate backwards, that one day you will be in their ranks. You will be the one doing turning toe stops on a dime. You will be able to skate 25 laps in less than 5 minutes. And you will be the one that future new skaters will look up to.

My first day as a derby girl was in the beginning of January 2012. I came to the Diamond State Roller Girls having figure skated when I was … well, much younger. I had never worn quad wheels before, had never considered that hitting people on quad wheels would be fun. But I came there, nonetheless, because a) I was bored and needed something to do, and b) three of my younger siblings were doing it. There was no way I was going to let them have all the fun.

The Skater Tot group I was in was small, perhaps 12 girls with minimal experience and all of us having no clue what the heck was going on. It was intimidating, but it was also exciting. We all had our shiny new equipment.  Some of us even had skates while the rest of us wore rentals. I had the advantage of knowing several members of the “Nots”, a.k.a. the veteran skaters, due to my siblings, but the majority of the girls there had no idea who anyone was. All we knew was that the next few months were going to be a challenge unlike anything we’d ever experienced before.

I won’t lie; those first few practices were brutal. We all discovered muscles we never knew existed, especially skating for almost two hours straight in “derby stance”: bend your knees into a squat position, push off, glide … and then get even lower than the lap before. We fell, we got up, we fell again.  There were bruises galore and even a few tears.  There were nights where we would wonder why we’re doing this to ourselves. We would question our strength of will, our athletic ability … our sanity. And then we would come to the next practice and start it all over again.

Why? Because we were committed to each other, not just ourselves. We were only Skater Tots, brand spanking new to the sport, but the camaraderie and team mentality was already established on that first day. That, plus roller derby is just straight up awesome.

But roller derby is a sport. It requires the players to come to practice and work harder each and every time they do so. Maybe one in a million people can strap on a pair of skates for the first time and skate like a professional. Everyone has to start somewhere, and for that first group of Tots it was with the basics. We learned (thankfully!) how to stop, how to do crossovers, how to fall safely and get back up within three seconds. We were drilled on blocking and hitting, how to give and take “whips”. Our coaches, E. Clair and Lola Lambruisa’ho, taught us the building blocks we needed, but more than that they encouraged us. They had been where we were, once upon a time. They knew what it was like stepping up to the pivot line for the first time against a rival team looking to tear you apart. And they prepared us for that moment.

“The Tot program definitely helped a lot,” said Slamshine Allie, one of the graduates from DSRG’s first Tot class of 2012. “I think I was definitely prepared to skate with the team because of everything E. Clair and Lola had taught us and shown us.”

After passing our assessments — a grueling two hour affair that consists of a written rules test and a skills test — we were then “presented” to the veterans by our new roller derby names and numbers. It was exciting and more than a little rewarding to see all the hard work and dedication we’d put into the last three months had paid off. We were official derby girls.

And then we attended our first practice with the Nots.

See, passing the basics is only the start of becoming a Diamond State Roller Girl. After assessments, we then get thrown in with the veteran skaters, some of whom have been doing this for years. To say it was a little daunting is an understatement … but it was also invigorating. We were going to be working and training with the very same people who, on that first day, we looked at and were in awe of. The Nots represented the next level of achievement in our derby careers. It was a new challenge for the Tots, and we were all eager to take it on.

“Working with the Nots has made me want to take my skating to the next level,” Sam Bambina said. “They make me push myself every practice.”

Slamshine agreed with her, stating, “I think I was just excited to be getting to work on some strategy and putting everything we had learned in the Tot program to actual use. And then hoping to just not fall on my face!”

Which was definitely a concern for all of the Tots on that first practice. Even though the veterans were welcoming and very considerate of our newbie status, we all knew we had to step up to the plate. Eventually, we would be played in scrimmages and bouts against other derby teams. It was absolutely necessary, for us as well as for our new teammates, to keep working hard and to build on the skills we’d already developed.

The first scrimmage we had, every single one of us was nervous as we watched the other team warm up. They were disciplined. They were quick. They looked like they were going to make us eat the track and like it.  This was the first time we would be playing against players outside of our little derby family.  We had prepared for this moment during practice, but even still … that was practice.  This was the real thing.

“Hearing my name, I was like, ‘Am I gonna cry? Am I gonna throw up?” Slamshine Allie recalled of that moment.

That feeling was mutually shared amongst all of the former Tots. Despite all our hard work and training, we had no idea what to expect out there. Fortunately, our vets and coaches were there for us — both physically as well as mentally.

“The best advice given to me from Lola [during practice] was when she was talking about scrimmaging,” explained Sam. “She said the first time you are on the line, once the whistle blows — hit someone. It will get all the nerves out.”

And people say violence never solved anything.

In all seriousness though, we all shared the same concern: amidst all that chaos, from coaches and referees shouting to the other players trying to take us out, how were we going to remember anything we were taught? It was a lot to take in all at once … but we survived it. More importantly, we loved it. For the first time, we truly felt like real, badass roller derby girls. All of the blood, sweat, and tears we’d (literally) shed from day one had finally paid off. It was tough, for some of us one of the hardest things we had ever put ourselves through, but we came out on the other side stronger and more confident than ever.

And that is the beauty behind roller derby, the reason we signed up for it to begin with. We had the opportunity to not only participate in a unique sport, but we also had the chance to become better women out of it. Roller derby is more than a sport for us. It is a lifestyle, one that requires sacrifice and dedication but, in the end, is worth every last cut, bruise, and track burn we earn. We former Tots are excited to continue our derby careers with the Diamond State Roller Girls and look forward to the next time we get to stare someone down on the pivot line and show them what we’re made of.

Q&A With Captain Freckles Fatale!

Freckles Fatale is one of the team captains for Diamond State Roller Gils.  She’s a great leader, an amazing skater … and she’s here to play a little game of Question and Answer.  Check it out!

 

Q: What’s the story behind your derby name, like how did you get it?

After a ton of back and forth and names being taken already i swiped this one from my friend Melody (the lovely ref Rolls Scholar). She mentioned that it was one she considered for a while and it just fit .

Q: How did you get into roller derby?

At the New York Comic Con I got a sketch book from the comic artist Eric Powell. It was full of pictures of bad ass girls on skates and I decided that’s what I wanted to do. The girl running his table was Rambo Sambo from the Nashville roller girls, and she was such a sweetheart.

Q: Cake or death?

Mmm … cakkkeee.

Q: What’s your advice for new skaters/people thinking about joining?

Derby is one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life, mentally and physically, but if you push through the pain and put in the work it is totally worth it. Don’t let a bad day/practice/jam whatever get you down, just reset and try again.

Q: If faced with a flying monkey or a robo-ninja, which would you fight and why?

Neither, I’ll just hide under my bed and let them duke it out.

Q: What’s your favorite derby drill/activity?

I have a sick love of shopping cart drills for endurance. I also love partner drills and scrimmaging of course.

Q: Do you get nervous/anxious before bouts, and if so what do you do to help with that?

I have a full bout day routine that I follow to the letter. I wake up, make myself something yummy, do my hair and makeup all fancy while listening to my “get pumped” playlist, which has everything from Disney songs to metal.

Q: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Strawberry and mint chocolate chip, but it has to be green mint chip otherwise get that out of my face!

Q: What other hobbies besides roller derby do you have?

I love reading and video games and going to comic conventions. I am also a big enough fan of sleeping and naps that I would consider it a hobby.

Q: Any last words?

BANANA HAMMOCK!

 

Weekly Recap!

Here’s what the DSRG have been up to recently and what we will be getting up to in the coming weeks.

Week In Review 4/29/12 – 5/5/12:

On Thursday May 3rd, the Diamond State Roller Girls squared off against the Southern Delaware Rollergirls for a friendly scrimmage.  It was an amazing battle!  Both teams were very evenly matched in talent, strenght, and skill.  It was a very close game; the score kept going back and forth, so we really didn’t know who was going to come out on top until the end.  It wasn’t until the second half when DSRG had a series of very successful jams that we emerged victorious.  Thank you, Southern Delaware Rollergirls, for being such wonderful hosts and incredibly competitors!  We look forward to meeting you on the hardwood again very soon!

Saturday May 5th saw the Diamond State Roller Girls out on Main Street in Newark, DE doing one of our fun street team events.  We started at Mojo’s and walked our way down handing out flyers and selling tickets for our season home opener in two weeks on Saturday May 19th.   We’ll be going up against the super fierce Mason Dixon Roller Vixens — definitely a match up you don’t want to miss!  Tickets are on sale now through our website or through your local Diamond State Roller Girl, so be sure to get ’em while you can.

 

Week In Preview 5/6/12 — 5/12/12:

Coming up on Thursday May 10th, DSRG will be hosting a Battle of the Freshies scrimmage.  This event is for skaters who have just passed their assessments and who have never skated an official bout before.  We’ll be pitting our “fresh meat” against the Brandywine Roller Girls, who are wickedly good.  It’s going to be an exciting event.  Stay tuned for more details!

As stated above, the Diamond State Roller Girls season opener is a home game and is being held on Saturday May 19th against the Mason Dixon Roller Vixens.  Tickets are on sale NOW!  We’ll be selling tickets at the door, but we’re offering a discounted rate for buying in advance.  Come out for a fun, family-friendly night on the town!  There will be concessions, a half time show, and a chance after the game to talk to your favorite roller girls at the after party being hosted at Tailgate’s.

 

And that is your Weekly Recap.  Be sure to check back as we add more events, and don’t forget to stop by our official website and Facebook pages for more DSRG information!

From The Bench: Carnage Asada

May is a very big month for DSRG.  Our first round of “skater tots” have finished their assessments and are now practicing with the veterans.  Our second round of tots have just completed their first month of derby.  But the most exciting news of all is that May kicks off our 2012 bouting season.

This month, we have TWO events going on.  There’s the Fresh Meat scrimmage on May 10th, an event open to skaters who have passed their assessments but have never bouted before.  There’s also the first actual team bout against the Mason Dixon Roller Vixens coming up on May 19th.  May is a month of firsts for us, and for many people firsts can be a little intimidating.

So, to help with any pre-bouting nerves we have asked our head coach, Carnage Asada, to provide a few tips to help our skaters prepare.  Carnage has a LOT of experience and know-how when it comes to derby, and we’re incredibly excited to have him on our coaching staff.  He’s not only a coach but a skater, so he knows precisely what goes into the sport of roller derby.  Here’s what he had to say:

To prepare:

1.  Hydrate at least a week before the bout.  You need to be hydrated on the cellular level.

2.  Focus on winning.  You need to think positively and focus on the game.

3. Bond with your teammates any way you can. Spend time with them and develop your trust.

Stay tuned for more of Carnage Asada’s tips From The Bench!